Raymond Nonnatus
saint from Catalonia in Spain
Feast: 31 August (1962 Missal, III class) · not on the current Roman calendar
Who they were
Raymond was born around 1200 at Portell in Catalonia, delivered from his mother's womb after her death - hence 'Nonnatus', 'not born'. Of a noble but poor family, he was set to farm work by his father, but was allowed to join the Mercedarians at Barcelona under St Peter Nolasco.
Sent to Algiers as ransomer, he freed many captives and, when the money ran out, gave himself as hostage. For teaching the faith and making converts he was cruelly treated and condemned to impalement, commuted for a larger ransom; to stop him preaching his lips were pierced with a hot iron and closed with a padlock. Back in Spain in 1239 he was made a cardinal by Gregory IX, and died at Cardona on 31 August 1240 on his way to Rome.
The miracles
Alexander VII placed his name in the Roman Martyrology in 1657. He is invoked by women in labour and by those falsely accused.
Why that counted as sanctity
Raymond gave himself as a hostage to set captives free, and kept preaching Christ until his captors silenced his lips by force.
Connected on this site
- Peter Nolasco Saint“Of a noble but poor family, he was set to farm work by his father, but was allowed to join the Mercedarians at Barcelona under St Peter Nolasco.” — this site's research
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Raymond Nonnatus
- Wikidata Q704364 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Raymond Nonnatus (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.